Friday, May 24, 2019

Yesterday was a 4-star day: I maintained the integrity of my calorie budget, I remained refined sugar-free, I met my daily water goal, and I stayed well connected with exceptional support.

The flooding in this area has reached historic and record-setting levels. Everything that goes with that has happened; roads being completely washed away, a building literally falling into the earth, people and animals being rescued from rising waters, neighborhoods being evacuated, and tragically, loss of life. A lot of people are affected in this area.

The phones at the studio yesterday afternoon and evening were constantly lighting up when rumors of a water plant shutdown were running rampant across social media. We were able to go straight to the source and secure the City Manager for an in-studio LIVE interview last night where he confirmed, without room for speculation--the water plant was operating normally and would continue operating normally. It felt good to do something so perfectly aligned with our core mission as local broadcasters; to serve and inform our listeners.

For me, personally, I'm fine. This past week has meant a lot of extra work for many of us at the radio station, but it's been necessary and when you feel like what you're doing is making a positive difference in a horrible circumstance, it's all worth the effort.

As far as the specific effect on me and my plan, schedule, and otherwise--sure, it's presented some challenges, but I've managed. I've fallen behind in posting this blog at consistent times, and no workouts lately--just taking care of my food plan has been the thing and less sleep, which isn't necessarily a new challenge. I've had some late dinners lately--but again, not necessarily a new thing for me. The thing is this--when circumstances demand flexibility, we must adjust while maintaining certain boundaries--a simplification, if you will, where the plan--perhaps modified, isn't sacrificed. Excess food wouldn't change the weather or the schedule. So, we carry on and hope for the best--and the circumstances will improve because they always do.

The sun is shining brightly this morning. I'm getting ready for two back to back location broadcasts today, one at a big blood drive and the other at a grocery store's Memorial Weekend sale. I plan on donating blood during the broadcast, so that'll be good. I'm about to prepare a good breakfast and make my way into this day. More storms are expected to develop this afternoon and tonight, so there's that possibility for later. I hope not. This area could use a break.

Thursday, May 23, 2019

Yesterday was a 4-star day: I maintained the integrity of my calorie budget, I remained refined sugar-free, I met my daily water goal, and I stayed well connected with exceptional support.

I don't claim to know it all. So when I speak or write, it's coming from my personal experience. The learning along this road never stops. Occasionally, I'll get some direct questions, or in the case below, a request...

"Please Tell me some steps to eliminate "all or nothing" thinking."I don't know if this is what you would call, steps--but here's my opinion:

All or nothing thinking comes from the self-imposed rules we create for our plan. These rules are developed from our lifetime of experience that has created our perception of what it means or what we believe is required to lose weight successfully.

What happens is this: We honor those old perceptions by creating our own set of rules- and maybe these rules are on paper or not- they can exist subconsciously, too... And then, when we do something that isn't in line with these old patterns of thinking- we feel like we've failed... When in reality, we haven't failed at all... But all or nothing thinking suggests we have- and then we get into the, "forget it, why bother" area of our brain.

"That would apply to the number on the scale not matching what we are expecting also, wouldn't it!?"

Yes- the idea is to embrace our plan... And since the scale takes into account about seven different things... We let the scale do what it does. We just embrace our plan and move forward. The scale will catch up. And after a while, if it doesn't, we can modify our plan if needed. The idea is to take the power away from the scale. It's about finding our peace and calm in the embrace of our plan, rather than from a number on the scale.

Because the scale isn't always a direct reflection of our plan. Yet, many times, we allow that number to completely negate our plan- and discourage us- when truly, it wasn't our plan the scale was reflecting on any particular number it shows. Sometimes it is a direct reflection, not of our plan, but of how we're not honoring our plan. Self-honesty is critically important. If we're struggling with maintaining the integrity of the plan we've created, can we simplify our approach into something doable for where we are right now, then allow it to evolve as we accumulate consistency?

It is challenging- but it's completely possible, to simplify our plan. Throw out the preconceived notions, develop a plan where we can consistently hit these "new marks," --and we can feel great about it, instead of constantly feeling defeated because we're not living up to what we thought was required of us to be successful.

The smaller, simplified plan, is one that we can embrace. It's designed for our consistent progress- and it evolves in time. The more consistency we give this new, simplified list of "non-negotiable" elements, the better we feel... Because finally, we're able to focus on a plan we can feel good about-- and one that ultimately, gets us to where we're wanting to go along this road... And wasn't that the goal to begin with?

And when our brains start telling us things reminiscent of the old diet mentality- we must reach for support and a different perspective.

Thank you for reading and your continued support,
Practice, peace, and calm,
Sean

If you're interested in connecting via social media:
I accept friend requests on MyFitnessPal. My daily food logging diary is set to public.
MFP Username: SeanAAnderson
My Twitter: SeanAAnderson
Facebook: www.facebook.com/seananderson505
Instagram: SeanAAnderson
Also--I'd love you to subscribe to my podcast Transformation Planet! You can find it in Apple Podcasts, in the Google Play store for Android, and listed wherever you find your favorite podcasts! If you haven't listened before, you'll find 20 episodes waiting for you!

Wednesday, May 22, 2019

Yesterday was a 4-star day: I maintained the integrity of my calorie budget, I remained refined sugar-free, I met my daily water goal, and I stayed well connected with exceptional support.

As the storms continue and the flood waters continue to rise, the news stories keep coming--horrible stories of people losing their lives to flooding, mostly. The National Weather Service and the Transportation Department make urgent pleas for media to constantly remind drivers to never "try to make it," across standing water--"turn around, don't drown," is the mantra--and we (media) say it constantly, but still--some don't hear it or heed it, to tragic consequences. The more stories I see and report about on the air, the less I'm inclined to complain about how the weather has affected my schedule lately. I'm safe, I don't live anywhere near a flood-prone area, and we've dodged the most violent storms. I have a lot of reasons to be grateful.

I'm staying connected with my plan, with others, and with my job--and right now, that's been about the best I can do.

Irene (known as Nana to our grandkids), Allen, and Noah came over early yesterday afternoon for a little while. Their power was recently restored after a huge outage and they needed to retrieve their things from my freezer. Coming home to their visit was a blessing. Every time I see Noah or any of my grandkids, I notice how quickly they're growing. It's a reminder for me to make more time for spending time with them. Noah will be six years old in early July--and my goodness, that doesn't seem possible.

Too many times, I would minimize the importance of the day or moment. The rationalizations would come fast and easy, ready to let me off the hook long enough to lose sight of the big picture. The enormity of the “rest of my life” would indeed make the moment seem small and insignificant, but beware: These moments where the integrity of our iron-clad decision is compromised are huge. The choices we’re making create physical and mental consequences. The mental impact comes first, the physical impact comes when these days and moments of “insignificance” are compounded over time. Your transformation is too important. The strength of your resolve in this day and moment is paramount. And it's not the resolve to "just do it," because if you're like me--addiction doesn't work that way because will power isn't a good defense. Instead of "resolve," I like "willingness." The strength of your willingness to build the structure of "rails" around your plan is key. This is very important because you’re extremely important.

Tuesday, May 21, 2019

Yesterday was a 4-star day: I maintained the integrity of my calorie budget, I remained refined sugar-free, I met my daily water goal, and I stayed well connected with exceptional support.

The aftermath of the storms here in Oklahoma continues to take its toll. Widespread flooding has affected thousands. The city where my youngest daughter and three of my grandkids live just had their power restored after more than 24 hours without electricity or water. I'm so glad it's been restored. The kids are doing fine. I offered for them to come to my place, but they were okay--and happy now that it's back on.

I didn't sleep well last night at all. It was a short night of rest. A tight schedule this afternoon didn't allow for a very long nap, either. I think a 30-minute nap is almost worse than no nap!

But--all things considered, it's been a really good day. The sun shone today. It was picture perfect weather, a huge contrast to yesterday's mess.

I'm going to bed early tonight. No threat of storms, so I'm seizing the opportunity! Good dinner tonight, by the way...

Monday, May 20, 2019

Yesterday was a 5-star day: I maintained the integrity of my calorie budget, I remained refined sugar-free, I exceeded my daily water goal, I enjoyed a good 30-minute elliptical workout, and I stayed well connected with exceptional support.

It's ten minutes until 11pm and I just got in from work. It's been a long night of weather coverage. We're experiencing significant flooding, however, we dodged the most severe storms in our state. Grateful for that!

My brain is done for the night. Looking forward to writing a long update blog post tomorrow. The alarm comes early in the morning, I'm hitting the pillow!

Thank you for reading and your continued support,
Practice, peace, and calm,
Sean

If you're interested in connecting via social media:
I accept friend requests on MyFitnessPal. My daily food logging diary is set to public.
MFP Username: SeanAAnderson
My Twitter: SeanAAnderson
Facebook: www.facebook.com/seananderson505
Instagram: SeanAAnderson
Also--I'd love you to subscribe to my podcast Transformation Planet! You can find it in Apple Podcasts, in the Google Play store for Android, and listed wherever you find your favorite podcasts! If you haven't listened before, you'll find 20 episodes waiting for you!

Saturday, May 18, 2019

Yesterday was a 4-star day: I maintained the integrity of my calorie budget, I remained refined sugar-free, I exceeded my daily water goal, and I stayed well connected with exceptional support.

This day, my goodness--long one. It started early with a location broadcast that was immediately canceled followed by covering weather at the studio--and then tonight, I did a last minute gig playing music for a wedding reception. The person the wedding party originally hired had to cancel at the last minute. I'm not a fan of eating dinner at midnight, but I did. I kept it simple--did a breakfast for dinner type thing. I'm usually better prepared. I did grab some cheese and a banana as a holdover--and was going to grab some almonds too, but the convenience store was out of every kind except flavored almonds with, you guessed it: refined sugar. I skipped the almonds.

The way back into town from the reception was dicey. I was driving on muddy roads in the middle of a thunderstorm. I almost lost control of the car. I wasn't driving fast--or at least I didn't think I was driving fast--but obviously, I was driving too fast for the conditions. I'm home, safe and sound. Grateful.

Super tired and headed to bed. No alarm will be set. I shall rest!

Thank you for reading and your continued support,
Practice, peace, and calm,
Sean

If you're interested in connecting via social media:
I accept friend requests on MyFitnessPal. My daily food logging diary is set to public.
MFP Username: SeanAAnderson
My Twitter: SeanAAnderson
Facebook: www.facebook.com/seananderson505
Instagram: SeanAAnderson
Also--I'd love you to subscribe to my podcast Transformation Planet! You can find it in Apple Podcasts, in the Google Play store for Android, and listed wherever you find your favorite podcasts! If you haven't listened before, you'll find 20 episodes waiting for you!

Friday, May 17, 2019

Yesterday was a 5-star day: I maintained the integrity of my calorie budget, I remained refined sugar-free, I met my daily water goal, I had a good elliptical workout at the RecPlex, and I stayed well connected with exceptional support.

If I had kept this diary prior to September 15th, 2008, it would have revealed someone desperate for some kind of life-saving solution.

One of the biggest and scariest thoughts I had back then centered around the idea that life will always contain stressful and emotional situations. These things may change in shape and size and with consequences big and small, but they will always be a part of a balanced and normal life.

It was a scary revelation because I had decided, concretely, that I couldn't in any way, shape or form--lose weight successfully unless everything was smooth sailing, every day, every week and so on.

I accepted, as fact: When the rain starts pouring, I start eating.

This perspective afforded me an endless supply of excellent excuses for why "now isn't a good time."

A "perfect time" is a myth. If I had waited for the perfect time, there's a good chance I wouldn't be alive today.

When someone asks me, what clicked on September 15th, 2008? It was truly the realization that if I was going to survive, I had to remain consistent come what may. I had to walk in the rain and not be afraid. I had to make an iron-clad decision that this time was going to be different from any other previous attempt.

No longer could I allow my resolve to be hard wired into the ups and downs of life. My resolve for the intentional actions of my daily practice required a separate power source.

For me, Day 1 was the start of my parallel streams philosophy. I just didn't know what to call it back then.

I found out what happens when I plug my importance level/resolve back into the ups and downs of life. My lifestream and fundamental elements stream crossed one another, and it didn't take too long for these to tangle in such a way, I felt more lost than ever before--and regained 164 pounds of my initial 275-pound weight loss. 'member that?

The turnaround from relapse/regain had to start with untangling the two streams and then adding additional measures to keep them separate, including more traditional practices in recovery and stronger accountability/support tools.

Dr. Marty Lerner, PhD, one of the world's leading experts on food addiction recovery, foreshadowed this entire experience in his review of Transformation Road, printed on the very first page of the book. He wrote: "Although incorporating some suggestions that run contrary to some recovered food addicts, Sean's experiences are worth learning about and considering."
Important questions, in my opinion, are: Where are we plugged in?Do we have a separate power source? The ups and downs of life provide a constant flow of energy, but if we're relying on it as the controlling power source of our day to day practice, we might be in for a back and forth ride.

How do we plug into a separate, more consistent, "come what may," power source? It's really a spiritual question, isn't it? That part is up to you. It's all up to you, actually. But as far as the intentional actions designed to help maintain a separate power source, I'd say it starts with outlining a few non-negotiable things. Making a daily "foundational" mental/emotional practice important can be a major difference maker. Simplify when you need to simplify, but hold the line on the non-negotiable parts.
I've witnessed people who are experiencing consistent positive progress through some of the most challenging times of their lives; through chronic pain, major life changes, serious health challenges, and unexpected happenings--and every single one, I have no doubt--can relate to this "separate power source" idea. When they say, "this would have derailed me once upon a time," and now it isn't, they're clearly plugged into a separate power source. The natural up and down flow of life isn't responsible for their progress anymore.These people, they're not super-human. They're just like you and me. They just utilize a consistent "back-up generator" for those times when the constantly flowing power of life gets inconsistent or temporarily goes out. Don't give up.

Thank you for reading and your continued support,
Practice, peace, and calm,
Sean

If you're interested in connecting via social media:
I accept friend requests on MyFitnessPal. My daily food logging diary is set to public.
MFP Username: SeanAAnderson
My Twitter: SeanAAnderson
Facebook: www.facebook.com/seananderson505
Instagram: SeanAAnderson
Also--I'd love you to subscribe to my podcast Transformation Planet! You can find it in Apple Podcasts, in the Google Play store for Android, and listed wherever you find your favorite podcasts! If you haven't listened before, you'll find 20 episodes waiting for you!

Thursday, May 16, 2019

Yesterday was a 4-star day: I maintained the integrity of my calorie budget, I remained refined sugar-free, I met my daily water goal, and I stayed well connected with exceptional support.

Our local RecPlex just installed brand new cardio equipment. Oh wow, it's good stuff! I made my way in this evening for a long-overdue round on the elliptical. This brand new elliptical is much more challenging! It was good. I kept listening to my most inspiring musical selections right into the grocery store after the workout--and I was groovin' up and down the aisles, feeling fantastic all over. In that mental and physical state, there's a zero percent chance of me selecting an off-plan item. It was a good reminder of how we can condition how we feel by what we do--what we "feed' our brain and bodies directly and powerfully affects our daily practice. Needed that.

Wednesday, May 15, 2019

Yesterday was a 4-star day: I maintained the integrity of my calorie budget, I remained refined sugar-free, I met my daily water goal, and I stayed well connected with exceptional support.

I waste too much lettuce. I buy it fresh, I use some--then I leave the rest, revisit it a few days later, and toss it because it's all yucky. I'm sure there are many tips for keeping lettuce longer--but I think my solution tonight was a good one. Eat it all! I enjoyed preparing dinner tonight and it started with a big ole bowl of lettuce. Press play on the Instagram post below to see the salad assembly.

I'm so glad I went to the doctor last week. He prescribed the perfect combination of meds. To be out of that pain is a wonderful thing.

I'm feeling well enough to give some good thought to reconnecting with a reasonable and consistent plan for exercise. I'm feeling rather positive and motivated--and that's good. Now--time for action!

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What's This All About?

"What's this all about? It's about progress, not perfection. It's about how you feel, not a number. It's about you and for you, not about or for anyone else. It's about living, not dying. It's about dreaming, not dreading. It's about freedom, not imprisonment. It's about opening your mind to the possibilities, not closing it to the changes. It's about acceptance, not rejection. It's about nourishing, not depriving. It's about a broadly consistent importance level, not short bursts of narrow focus. It's about wanting, not forcing. It's about doing your best, not trying to do another's best. It's about today, not tomorrow, or next week or the first of the month or January 1st. It's about committing to consistency with all your heart and holding on tight, not a halfhearted commitment easily released with the slightest breeze. It's about you deserving better, because you do. It's about you being important, because you are important." --Sean Anderson

The start. 505 pounds.

Before--Over 500 pounds

Before & Now

Before: Over 500lbs "After" photo: Around 220-230. Current weight: Between 206-210

About Sean Anderson

This blog started as a daily account of what became a 275 pound weight loss. The archives contain over 1,700 individual blog posts. Sean hit his goal weight of 230 in November 2010 and maintained for 1.5 years. Then spent the following 1.5 years regaining 164 pounds. The daily postings from April 2014 to present, chronicle Sean's successful turnaround from relapse/regain. Currently weighing around 204 and maintaining well, Sean continues to write daily about the practices and disciplines of his continued recovery.